TECH TIPS

Web Addresses
What does all that stuff in an Internet Address mean anyway?

A web address consists of 5 main parts and goes as follows:

1. The Protocol
2. The Host name
3. The Domain
4. The Network Extension or Type
5. The Path

Let's take a look at an address and dissect it!

http://www.example.org/index.html

1. The "http" part is the Protocol section and simply means that the data following the "://" is going to use the "Hyper Text Transfer Protocol."

2. The "www" part represents the Host section and tells the domain you are visiting which computer you would like to visit specifically.

3. The "example" part is the domain you are currently visiting. It means that you are in the "example area of the internet."

Think of a domain as a neighborhood and a host as an individual house!

4. The "com" is the Network extension or type and this one means Commercial. Here are some more: "edu"=Educational, "gov"=Government and "org"=Organization.

5. The "index.html" part is really just the name of the file you wish to view on the host of the domain you are visiting. It's just like a file on your computer (i.e. c:\windows\faq.txt, the faq.txt part refers to a text file.)

These can also get complicated. Here's one for consideration: http://www.example.org/images/fall2000/jake/campingtrip/tent1.jpg

Everything after the ".org/" part is really the path to the file, which in this case is "tent1.jpg." It's just like the directory structure of your computer.

Now when you're surfing the Internet, you'll always know where you are!

The Windows Key
Ever wonder what that key with a flying window on it is?

Pressing this button by itself will simply open the start menu in the Windows environment. However, by pressing this key in combination with various other keys will produce different effects. Here are a few:

1. The Windows key + "E" will open up Windows Explorer.
2. The Windows key + "F" will open up the find or search function.
3. The Windows key + "M" will minimize all open windows.
4. The Windows key + "L" in Windows XP will show the login dialog box or welcome screen.
5. The Windows key + "R" will open up the run function.

And if you are feeling extra geeky, you'll really enjoy:
6. The Windows key + the pause/break key which will open the system properties box!

Go have some fun with your Windows Key!

Disabling Startup Programs
Stopping nasty programs from starting up with Windows!

1. From the desktop, click on the "Start Menu", go to "Programs", then to "Startup."
2. A list will appear displaying most programs that startup with the Windows boot process. If in Windows 98 or higher, simply right click on the program to be stopped from starting up and choose "delete."
3. If in Windows 95, right click on the "Start Menu" button and choose "Open." Then double click on "Programs," then on "Startup." Right click on the program you wish to prevent from starting up, and choose "delete."

Internet Explorer Tweaks
Would you like to get the most out of Internet Explorer?

When you browse the Internet, sometimes Internet Explorer can work overtime. By following some of these tips, you can reduce strain on your CPU while riding the Information Super Highway:

1. Scrolling - If you notice some lag while scrolling up and down web pages:
      a. Click on Tools
      b. Then Internet Options
      c. Then click on the Advanced tab
      d. Under the Browsing options uncheck "use smooth scrolling."

2. Cookies - Cookies are small text files on your computer that will store information about you and sites you have visited. Sometimes the cookies folder can get a little overcrowded:
      a. Click on Tools
      b. Then Internet Options
      c. Then choose the "Delete Cookies…" button.

3. Cache - The cache is a place where previously visited web page data is stored in order to speed up the experience the next time you visit that site. Too much storage fills up the hard drive and ruins the computer later on! Here's the fix:
      a. Click on Tools
      b. Then Internet Options
      c. Then choose the "Delete Files…" button

4. Cache Settings - Big caches can be handy for dial-up connections, but are unnecessary for broadband connections. Here's the place to tell Internet Explorer how much of a cache to keep on hand:
      a. Click on Tools
      b. Then Internet Options
      c. Then choose the "Settings…" button
      d. Use the slider to tell the application how big of a cache to keep.

Hint: between 150MB to 200MB is probably good enough for dial-up connections (depending on how big of a hard drive you have.) and around 20MB is good enough for any broadband connection.

5. History - Too big of a history will take up room just like cookies and a large cache will. Make sure your history is just the right size:
      a. Click on Tools
      b. Then Internet Options
      c. Near the bottom of that dialog box simply set the number of days to store data.

Hopefully some or all of these tips can help you and your computer along the Super Information Highway!

Hotmail in Outlook Express
Tired of checking your ISP email account one way, and Hotmail another way? Consolidate!

With Outlook Express, you can check both types of email accounts (POP3 and Hotmail)! Here's how:

1. In Outlook, click on Tools, then Accounts.
2. Choose the "Add" button, then "Mail…"
3. Type in the Name you wish displayed when you send out email; choose next.
4. Type in the email address you will be checking; choose next.
5. In the first pull down menu, choose "HTTP", and in the second choose "Hotmail"; choose next.
6. For user name, type your full Hotmail address (i.e. your_name@hotmail.com) then your password; choose next, then finish.

Now when you check the email account your ISP gave you, you can also check your Hotmail account!

Turning off the Office Assistant
Ever get annoyed at that "Paper Clip Guy" in Microsoft office?

While in any of the Office applications simply do the following:
1. Right click on the assistant and choose "Options…"
2. Then uncheck "Use the Office Assistant."

To Turn the Assistant back on:
1. Click on Help
2. And then on "Show the Office Assistant."

After you disable it, the Office Assistant will no longer bother you while you're hard at work!

Changing your screen resolution (size) and the number of colors displayed.

1. Set your pointer over a blank spot on your desktop (the main screen).
2. Click the right mouse button.
3. At the bottom of the list that pops up select Properties.
4. Choose the Settings tab.
5. To change the number of displayed colors select the drop down arrow beneath Colors and select the number of colors you want to display. The more colors you choose the nicer things look on your screen.
6. To change your screen resolution (size) click and hold on the slider under Screen Area and drag it left or right to the your desired setting. The smaller the numbers the larger things appear on your screen.
7. When finished click OK. Windows may ask you if it is ok to resize your desktop or to restart your computer. In both instances just click ok.
8. If after clicking ok Windows asks if you want to keep these settings click ok if the screen resolution you have chosen looks ok - otherwise click no.

1. Set your pointer over a blank spot on your desktop (the main screen).
2. Click the right mouse button.
3. At the bottom of the list that pops up select Properties.
4. Choose the Screen Saver tab.
5. To change the screen saver select the drop down arrow beneath Screen Saver and select the screen saver that you would like to use.
6. You can change the settings for that screen saver by clicking the Settings Button.
7. You can view a preview of that screen saver by clicking the Preview button. Hit the space bar to close the preview.
8. Change the number of minutes to wait to start the screen saver by changing the number after Wait:
9. When finished click OK to save your changes.

Save vs. Save As

1. When should I use Save and when should I use Save As when saving a document?
2. Use Save when you open a document to edit and you want to OVERWRITE the file with the changes and save that file to the exact same location or to save a new document that has not been saved before.
3. Use Save As when you open an existing document, but you want to save it with a different name or to a different location.
4. Remember that hitting the Save Icon in most programs will save the document that is open with the same name and to the same location as the original document OVERWRITING this document.
5. In most programs you have to choose File/Save As to use the Save As feature.

What does the right mouse button do?

1. The left mouse button is used to select items on your computer screen.
2. The middle mouse button (if you have one) is often used as an aid in scrolling or selecting text.
3. The right mouse button is used to display more information about the item that was clicked.
4. Try right clicking on the items on your desktop or open a program like Microsoft Word and right clicking on the items and icons you see there. A different group of shortcuts is displayed depending on what you clicked on.
5. Note of interest: Macintosh users do not use a right mouse button. A Macintosh mouse often only has one button.

Create a shortcut on your desktop

1. Place your mouse over an empty space on your desktop.
2. Click the right mouse button.
3. Select New/Shortcut (this sometimes takes a second to display).
4. Click on Browse.
5. Use the Browse menu to locate the program or file that you wish to link to.
6. Click Open.
7. Click Next
8. Type a name for your shortcut.
9. Click Finish.
10. Your new shortcut will be displayed on your desktop.